Animal-trap.



L. D. PEARSALL.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLIOATION FILED MAY5, 1909.

,954,()45. Patented Apr. 5, 1910. 6/ ZSHEETB-SHEET l. /s #3 o- I El l7l/vitmooe/a ZaZhamDJarsall L. D. PEARSALL.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1909.

954,045, Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

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V zazzamlnigiiu Q/wbnuoea 5? Mum LATHAM n. PnA nsALL, or OGEANIC, NEWJERSEY.

ANiMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Application filed May 5, 1909. Serial No. 494,085.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LATI-IAM D. PEARSALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Oceanic, in the county of Monmouth and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of which the following is a specifica- This invention relates tocertain new and useful improvements in animal traps.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of trapsespecially designed to kill. rats and mice.

A further object is to provide a trap so constructed that the animal tobe caught does not step upon any part of the trap.

A further object is to provide a trap in the construction of which animpaling jaw will, on the release of a trigger, be thrown outward underforce so as to strike the animal, the animal being impaled uponthestriker aw.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, itbeing understood that changes in the specific structure shown anddescribed may be made within the scope of the claims without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a top view of a trap embodying my invention, disclosing thesame as set, Fig. 2 is an edge view of the trap as set, Fig. 8 is anedge view of the trap as sprung, Fig. 4: is an end view of the trap,Fig. is a detached enlarged detail of the base, Fig. 6 is a lengthwisevertical sectional view through the trap showing the instru mentalitiesas set.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of traps, inwhich a spring jaw is arranged to strike an animal and crush the samebetween the jaw and the base of the trap. Such a construction is foundobj ection able, however, in that the animal in dying seems to impart anodor to the trap that finally prevents other animals being caught. Bloodand other secretions exuding from the dying animal also have a tendencyto mar and scent the trap, so that finally the animals shun the trap.

In my invention, the floor or ground upon which the trap is set, servesas a base for the jaw, my invention being so arranged that an impalingjaw is thrown outward with such force, that the jaw will either socripple the animal that the same cannot escape or the animal will beimpaled upon the teeth of the striker jaw.

In the accompanying drawings, the nueral 5 designates a suitable basepreferably made of wooc, and oblong in outline and provided at one endwith a suitable nail, peg or screw opening 6 by means of which a trapmay be secured to the ground or floor, and which also serves to receivea suitable nail or screw by means of which the trap may be suspendedwhen not in use.

The base of the trap is hollowed out and is provided with a depressionor socket 7 ap proximately in the shape of a horse shoe as clearlydisclosed in Fig. 5, and is provided with the base skirting flange 8having the central opening 9, and the two edge openings 10, as clearlydisclosed. The depression or socket is of such a size, that the trapalong opposite edges is provided with the holding flanges 12, 12, eachofwhich is provided with a suitable pin opening as shown.

Passing transversely across the socket 7 and proximal to the skirtingbase flange 8, is the pin 13 which has its opposite ends bent at rightangles and secured by means of the staples 14:, so that this pin cannotbe removed from the base of the trap. Pivotally mounted upon the pin 13is the sheet metal striking jaw 15, the lower edge of which is pro videdwith a series of impaling points 16, as clearly disclosed in Fig. 8.This impaling jaw is bent in the form of a horse shoe and the socket 7within the base of the trap is of such a depth, that when this impalingjaw is folded into the trap, the same lies below the upper surface ofthe base. One end of the impaling jaw is provided with the pin openings17, through which openings is projected the end 18 of the coil spring19, the remaining end 20 of the spring bein held upon the bottom of thetrap socket, as disclosed. This coil spring is held-upon the pin 13 and1s arranged to normally force the jaw outward. The pin 13 is positionedinward a suitable distance from the edge of the trap so that when thejaw is sprung it will finally be stopped by the bottom of the trap, thejaw ends being held within the openings 10 as disclosed.

At a suitable point within the socket I sedisclosed.

.cure a staple 22 loosely holding the trigger bar 23 and this triggerbar is arranged to receive the trigger 24:, which forms a part of l thebait hook 25, this bait hook being provided with an eye 26 encompassingthe in 1 13, this bait hook being held within the slot i 9 formed withinthe edge flange 8, as clearly The trigger 2% is slightly flattened, sothat the trigger bar will be properly held below the under surface ofthis trigger.

hen set, all of the working parts of the trap are held within the socket7, the only part of the trap protruding being the bait hook to which asuitable bait is secured. The base 5 is of such a weight, that the relcoil of the striker jaw will not be sufficient to throw the trap. Fromthis it will be seen that the animal to be trapped in no way treads uponthe trap base, which could be entirely hidden with bran or any othersuit able material.

The operation of my invention is very simple. The bait hook is providedwith a suitable bait when the striker aw is carried into the socket sothat the trigger bar can be carried between two of the impaling hooks 16so that the end thereof may be rought below the trigger 24. The trap isthen set upon the floor or the ground. The animal nibbling at the baitupon the hook soon dislodges the trigger bar which results that theimpaling striker jaw will be carried outward with such force as tocripple or kill the animal.

In my trap construction, the base is made of such a width as is thestriker jaw that it is quite possible to strike and cripple a number ofanimals, as all surrounding the bait are sure to be struck by one of theimpaling points 16.

It is of course understood that these traps are to be made in varioussizes and that if desired, the base 5 may be secured to the floor bymeans of a screw or nail. The trap is simple of construction andpositive in its operation, and can be set with ease and accuracy.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by f United States Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a suitable base I having a socket, a pin heldwithin said! socket and adjacent to one edge of said base, j a jawpivotally held upon said pin and being 1 arranged to move outward andbeyond the edge of said base, a coil spring carried by I said pin oneend of said spring contacting with said base, the remaining end of saidspring contacting with said jaw, a trigger bar arranged to he over saidjaw, and a bait hook secured to said base having a trigger arranged tocontact with said trigger bar.

2. The combination with a base-having a suitable socket, a pintransversely secured to said base and held within said socket, said basealong one edge being provided with two openings, an approximately U-shaped striker jaw provided with projecting points, the ends of saidjaws projecting through said openings and being held upon said pin, acoil spring upon said pin, one end being secured to said jaw and theremaining end contacting with the bottom of said socket, said jaw beingarranged to extend beyond said base in one of its extreme positions,said jaw in both of its extreme positions contacting with said base, atrigger bar held within said socket and arranged to overlie said jaw inone of its positions, a bait hook carried upon said pin said hook havinga trigger, said trigger bar being arranged to be held below saidtrigger, said socket being of such a depth as to contain all of saidinstrun'ientalities excepting said bait hook when said trap is set, asand for the purpose set forth.

3. A trap comprising an oblong base having a suitable socket, a pintransversely held to said base within said socket, said base having twosuitable openings near each edge and a central opening, an approximatelyU-shaped jaw extending through said edge openings and being held uponsaid pin, a spring coiled about said pin and having one of its endssecured to said jaw, the remaining end of said spring contacting withthe bottom of said socket, a bait hook extending through said centralopening having an eye coiled about said pin, said bait hook ending in atrigger, a trigger bar secured within said socket, to said base andadapted to overlie said jaw in one of its positions, said jaw in thesprung condition of the trap being stopped against the bottom of thetrap, said jaw extending beyond the edge of the trap, all arrangedsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I attix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LATHAM D. PEARSALL.

itnesses ALFRED Roosnvnrxr ROACH, ALBERT M. STRIKER.

